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Modern Couples

Art, Intimacy and the Avant-garde

Explore modern art and modern love; now in its final weeks, this major exhibition reveals how relationships can become a playground for creativity.

Featuring the biggest names in Modern Art, Modern Couples explores creative relationships, across painting, sculpture, photography, design and literature. Meet the artist couples that forged new ways of making art and of living and loving. The exhibition illuminates these creative and personal relationships, from the obsessional and fleeting to the life-long.

Including Dora Maar & Pablo Picasso; Salvador Dalí & Federico García Lorca; Camille Claudel & Auguste Rodin; Frida Kahlo & Diego Rivera; Emilie Flöge & Gustav Klimt – plus many more.

Download the Modern Couples glossary of terms booklet

Download the Large Print Exhibition Guide

The exhibition contains some nudity. There are works of an adult nature in one sign-posted room. Parental guidance advised. Children under 14 must be accompanied at all times.

The average amount of time spent in the exhibition is approximately 1hr 30mins. Please also bear in mind that the exhibition runs across two floors. Tickets are valid all day, allowing visitors to break up their visit and use their ticket for same-day re-entry

No photography, food or drink is permitted in the gallery. All bags are subject to search and large bags, all backpacks, rucksacks and luggage must be deposited in the free cloakroom. You can find full details in our safety policy.

Booking essential.

Exhibition organised by Centre Pompidou-Metz in collaboration with Barbican Centre, London.

Explore

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7W5eYqA9Wt8&t=122s

Curator Jane Alison & Katy Hessel on Modern Couples

Curator Jane Alison and Katy Hessel (from The Great Women Artists) discuss some of creative and romantic couples featured in our exhibition 'Modern Couples: Art, Intimacy and the Avant-garde'.

Reviews

‘...fun and fascinating‘
Guardian
‘...passionate whirlwind of an exhibition‘
Londonist
‘...you’ll go back for more‘
Time Out
‘...timely, revelatory and supremely engaging‘
Culture Whisper

With thanks

Barbican Art Gallery